The Alternatives to TELSTRA 50mhz Customer Loop Metering (CLM50).
What is Customer Loop Metering?
Customer Loop Metering 50Mhz (CLM50) is a Telstra PSTN product that is used to record calls costs on charged services primarily in the Accommodation industry to charge guest for calls made from their room phone and also on Gold Pay Phones.
Customer Loop Metering sends an electrical pulse over the Phone Line to the customers premises for each registration that is recorded by the customer's call-metering-circuitry in the telephone exchange. This allows customers to calculate their call-charges. As each pulse is metered (and charged) at a fixed rate, simply counting the number of pulses registered provide a calculable call cost for each call made. Third party software or hardware and the callers end allows the line owner to record and then recharge the call costs.
Local calls in Australia are generally untimed so Local calls will register a single pulse and charge a single billing increment for the call. Long Distance calls (STD OR IDD International Phone calls) are sent at predefined intervals with the time between pulse intervals being defined by the geographic local of the party receiving the calls. A call from Melbourne to Geelong may receive a pulse every 25 seconds while a call from Melbourne to Perth may get a pulse every 10 seconds and is then billed accordingly.
How will this effect our Motel? If you currently use CLM50 it will cease to function this year and you will not be able to charge your customers for their calls. Telstra advised in 2007 that CLM 50 will no longer be installed and that the product would be discontinued altogether from 1 June 2009. Telstra has justified the closing of the Customer Loop Metering 50Mhz services on the grounds that it is old technology and problematic. This will affect the ability of many accommodation providers to charge for calls made using their PABX Phone System and may require replacement of Gold Payphone with 12Mhz compatible models.
What are the alternatives to CLM50 Customer Loop Metering 50Mhz? Fortunately there are several options open to users of CLM50. Telstra's alternative to CLM50 is Customer Loop Metering 12Mhz (CLM12). This will be fine if your PABX Phone System phone automatically recognises CLM12kHz signaling, your service will simply change to CLM12kHz signaling when CLM50 is closed.
However, if your phone is not CLM12 compatible you will need to upgrade your equipment if you choose CLM12 as your alternative. Many accommodation providers will be unhappy to hear that despite the change to CLM12 industry experts say that CLM12hz may also have it's own share of temperamental problems anyhow.
If your PABX system is not compatible with CLM50 your PABX Phone System may be compatible with third party Call Accounting Software. You will need to talk to your PABX Maintainer about this.
You may in the end however to be forced to look at a new PABX Phone System that is compatible with Call Accounting Software or CLM12.
If you decide to purchase a new PABX system it may also be an opportune time to consider converting your lines to ISDN 2/10/20/30 services which have many advantages of the standard PSTN services and can even allow you to reduce the number of phones lines you use. For more information on ISDN 2 and ISDN 10/20/30 phone lines click here.
Alternately, if you decide to purchase a new PABX system and you do want to use CLM12, confirm with your carrier and your PABX provider that CLM 12 is available and compatible with your PABX Phone System before signing on the dotted line. Don't commit to anything until you get that confirmation. Similarly if you have a Gold Pay phone you will need to look for alternatives which may include a Bluephone and Telstra is also developing other alternatives.
Is there an upside to this change? There is an unforeseen upside for many Motel providers. Previously if you had CLM50 on your lines, the lines could not be pre selected to another carrier effectively locking the customer to Telstra and in many cases uncompetitive call rates. Telaustralia provides great Australian PSTN & ISDN 2 call rates and can also churn customers even if they intend to keep using Customer Loop Metering.
If you elect to go with a Call Accounting Software package (which in the end will probably be cheaper than CLM as it is a one off purchase rather than an ongoing service rental) you will have the option of choosing the carrier of your choice which may save you money on your call costs.
In Summary When customers call us at Telaustralia with queries regarding alternatives to CLM50 we work through the options with them in order of cost as we are aware that the Phone System is not the revenue machine it once was due to the level of mobile usage in Australia.
Obviously if your PABX Phone System is already CLM12 compatible then no action is required, as according to the Telstra advice that was distributed to CLM50 Customers , Telstra will convert your CLM50 service to CLM12 automatically.
The next most cost effective option is to determine if your PABX Phone system has a compatible Call Accounting Package available.
Clearly the most expensive option is to replace the PABX Phone system, but you may be able to cut some corners be retaining existing room handsets.
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